23 comments:

Haha. I have received a telegram exactly once -- when being informed that I had been accepted to the college I eventually attended.

This college was all of five blocks or so from my home, and I had been taking courses there for two years already, so it was not a great surprise. But I suppose they wanted to do something a bit special. It was rather fun. And I certainly remember it.

I've been told by people of my parents' (WWII) generation that a Western Union deliveryman ringing your doorbell brought on an overwhelming sense of dread. Whether in wartime or not, my elders told me, a telegram delivery usually meant that someone had died.

But thank heavens for notable exceptions. Looking through some old family photos and mementos, I found a telegram addressed to me on the day in 1959 when I was born. It had been sent by friends of my parents', and bore a sweet message welcoming me into the world.

I seem to recall attempting something like that in the 1980s, on the occasion of a new arrival, but at that point, Western Union was calling them “Mailgrams,” or something similarly uninspiring.

I really liked that piece. I wonder how the text-message has effected this generation's ability to write prose. Some of those telegrams are hilarious. Could you imagine Mark Twain using 8 for "eight," R for "are," or U for "you?"

This story sounds fictional to me. However, it could have been suggested by a bit in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories: 'The "Gloria Scott" '. Holmes decodes a seemingly nonsensical message to read: "The game is up. Hudson has told all. Fly for your life."

This story sounds fictional to me. However, it could have been suggested by a bit in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories: 'The "Gloria Scott" '. In it Holmes decodes a seemingly nonsensical message to read: "The game is up. Hudson has told all. Fly for your life."

I am curious if anyone knows if the phrase "flee at once - all is discovered" was a phrase in popular use at some time? I have my doubts about the accuracy of the suggestion that Canon Doyle sent such a telegram. The main source of that phrase I believe (unless it once was in popular use) was in Robert Penn Warren's "All the King's Men" which was written after Doyle was dead.

I received an actual telegram from my parents the first time I went away from home. I was with my high school band competing in the Knoxville, Tn, Dogwood Arts Festival's band competition. We were staying at the aging (on its last legs, really) Andrew Johnson hotel. Western Union was certain my mother was confused about Tennessee history and changed the address to the Andrew Jackson hotel. I still got it before our first competition and it was a surprise and a great example of how my stoic Appalachian mother could be thoughtful and loving. I still have the telegram, yellowed withe age.

Fascinating article. I read the ,all found out, flee at once, attributed to doyle in john bakers book & it was stated as fact so did a little internet investigation and found this article & read all the interesting commentaries. Also i loved the telegram that looks original from louis armstrong to be cool as iim a big fan of his music!

Fascinating article. I read the ,all found out, flee at once, attributed to doyle in john bakers book & it was stated as fact so did a little internet investigation and found this article & read all the interesting commentaries. Also i loved the telegram that looks original from louis armstrong to be cool as iim a big fan of his music!